The Oakland Raiders' 34-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs all but dashed their hopes of making the playoffs.
Once a 4-3 squad looking like it could make a late-season run, Jack Del Rio's team has lost four of its last five games. At 5-7, the Raiders sit two games out with four remaining and a heap of better teams in their path.
"There's nothing more that our team wanted to do than to deliver a big victory at home and put ourselves in second place, right in the thick of the playoff hunt. Now it's extremely unlikely for us. I think it's obvious," Del Rio admitted this week, via ESPN.com. "I look at the different probability tables. I think we're 1 percent chance or something. That's not real good odds. That's kind of like the 'Dumb and Dumber' deal, 'So we still have a chance?'"
Del Rio is, of course, referring to this famous line from Jim Carrey.
Football Outsiders dropped the Raiders' playoff odds to 1.3 percent after Sunday's loss. See! A chance!
Del Rio then attempted to take the blame for the team's crumbling play.
"But the reality is we have a good group of players. They believe in each other ... I believe in these guys," he said. "As a staff, we believe in our guys. We understand it was a rough day. It was a rough day, so if there's a need to blame or any of that, just blame me. I'd rather shoulder it. Just blame me and then we'll move forward, because I believe in what we're doing. I believe in the guys we have. I believe in the coaches and the players and the effort that we're getting. We're going to turn this thing and become a really good football team. It just hasn't happened quickly enough over the first 12 games, 12 opportunities we've had. We're sitting here with five victories after 12 games, and I expected more."
While the past few weeks have been a disappointment, it's clear the building blocks are finally in place for the Raiders. Derek Carr is a franchise quarterback. Amari Cooper is a dynamic receiving threat. The offensive line is one of the better units in the NFL. Khalil Mack is improving as a pass rusher and will soon wreck game plans.
There is more to add, especially in the defensive secondary, but for the first time in years there is reason for hope in Oakland.
